A rowdy sheeter was arrested by Dabeerpura police on Monday, June 22, for allegedly threatening and extorting a builder by demanding ₹50 lakh and warning him of criminal cases if the money was not paid.

The accused was identified as Habeeb Ali Baghdadi, 57, a businessman from King Koti and a rowdy sheeter of Abids Road police station. He was arrested in connection with a case registered under Sections 329(4), 308(6), 351(2) and 352 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.

According to the police, the case was registered based on a complaint lodged by Syed Yousuf Shareef, a builder from Azampura, who is constructing a building at Kaladera in Malakpet. The complainant alleged that the accused had been harassing and pressuring him for the past few months to pay ₹50 lakh, threatening that a serious criminal case would otherwise be registered against him.

Police said that around two months ago, the accused allegedly trespassed into the construction site and enquired about the builder’s whereabouts. When a plumber questioned his behaviour, the accused allegedly displayed a knife concealed in his waistband and threatened that the builder would be jailed if his demands were not met. He also allegedly threatened to falsely implicate the complainant in a serious offence.

Investigators said the accused again visited the construction site on June 9 and allegedly threatened the complainant and the watchman in an attempt to extort money. The accused had earlier lived in Saudi Arabia and, after returning to India, allegedly targeted newly constructed buildings and their owners. His alleged modus operandi involved identifying suspected building violations, photographing properties and posting images on social media while tagging civic and government authorities. He would then allegedly demand money from builders and property owners and threaten to lodge complaints seeking demolition of the structures if his demands were not met.

Police said the accused has previously been involved in several criminal cases registered between 2017 and 2023 at Narayanguda and Abids Road police stations, including cases related to extortion, criminal intimidation, trespass and cheating.

The accused was apprehended by Dabeerpura police. Further investigation is underway.